Galapagos Islands: a trip to the mysterious corner of the planet

Giant tortoises, stepping hard among lava formations, iguanas deftly jumping into the sea, completely ignoring the infertility of their lands. Strangely adapted wildlife made a strong impression on Charles Darwin when he came to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 and, perhaps, to a large extent inspired him to discover the evolutionary process through natural selection.

Unfortunately, today their pollution, congestion, infrastructure development is strongly opposed to efforts aimed at preserving the wildlife, habitats of unique flora and fauna. The tourist boom continues, the number of visitors is growing every year, over the past twenty years their number has tripled. But even this is not a serious problem. Galapagos Islands And the surrounding waters, located on both sides of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, to the west of the continental Ecuador of which they are a part, are under the control of the national park and the biological marine reserve. Nevertheless, people for many years involuntarily or intentionally introduce invasive life forms that can undermine the natural order. According to the Charles Darwin Foundation, it is about 750 alien species of plants and 490 insects. Scientists warn that damage can be irreversible.

The Galapagos Islands , which are the tops of volcanoes, began to appear from the ocean about five million years ago as a result of tectonic activity. The most recent, named Isabela and Fernandina, are still forming, recent eruptions of the volcano were recorded in 2009. The flora and fauna on the "enchanted islands", as tourists call them, is almost unique, it can not be found in any other place. Animals and plants appeared here in different ways, including pirates. Finchocks and mockingbirds were carried away from their normal course by storms, a woody scalesia plant came here by carrying seeds through the air.

The archipelago consists of thirteen large islands (an area of ten square kilometers), five medium (with a total area of one to ten square kilometers) and 215 small ones, plus rock outcrops (several square meters). They are separated from each other by parts of the sea with deep-water and strong currents, so the isolation of plants and animals caught on them, the inability to cross with native species that colonized other shores occurred. New inhabitants had to adapt to the conditions of the new house.

The Galapagos Islands are one of the few places in the world where there is no indigenous population. Today, according to various estimates, more than 25,000 people live in Balti, Isabela, Floreana, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. The main language is Spanish. The largest ethnic group consists of Ecuadorian Métis. They are descendants of the Spanish colonists and indigenous Indians, who arrived there mainly in the last century from the continental part of Ecuador. There are many white people here, mostly of Spanish descent. Some descendants of the first European and American colonists still live on the islands.

Until 1965, only on a private or chartered vessel could one visit the Galapagos. Tours began to be organized from April 1969, at the same time on the island of Santa Cruz, the first hotel of Forest Nelson was founded (it still exists and is located next to Charles Darwin's biocenter, but is currently closed for repairs). Local fishermen began preo To fish their boats to transport people. There were interested tourist companies that sent their yachts there. They have become the main places for guests to stay, in other words, mini-hotels on the water. Today there are about 85 yachts and vessels equipped in a comfortable housing. The only thing, the government limits the number of people living in each of them (from 16 to 100 people, not more).

Today, the Galapagos Islands, whose photos stimulate the desire to travel to this enigmatic corner of our planet, have many land hotels located on San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela.